


something's begun

by fairytiger



Category: Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Genre: Gen, implied Lizzie/Darcy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-19
Updated: 2013-02-19
Packaged: 2017-11-29 20:57:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/691367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairytiger/pseuds/fairytiger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“So anyway, my brother.”</i>
</p><p> </p><p>  <i>“What do you want to know?” Lizzie knows she’s walking on very dangerous ground here, but blame it on the Chupacabra or the fact that she could definitely go for female companionship these days with Jane and Charlotte in L.A. and Lydia...whatever, if having this much fun means humoring her about Darcy, so be it.</i></p><p> </p><p>Gigi and Lizzie go to karaoke.</p>
            </blockquote>





	something's begun

**Author's Note:**

> I actually wrote this a long time ago, right after the SF tour, and never posted for unknown reasons. But now more than ever, I feel like we need to remember the good old days, am I right? Total future sisters-in-law fluff.

It’s a dive bar sandwiched between a Vietnamese restaurant and a UPS store on the corner of 3rd and Who Knows. There are neon signs for “Budweiser” and billiards in the windows and unidentifiable stains on the sidewalk (vomit? Lizzie really hopes it’s vomit).

Gigi holds onto her arm tighter as a gust of January wind blows, nearly taking with it her red velvet fedora (seriously, has there ever been another human being that looked better in hats?) 

(Wait, no, don’t answer that).

Lizzie kicks at one of the stains with her boot as they wait in line to show IDs.

“Are you sure this is...safe?” she asks delicately. This is Gigi’s city, not hers. If they were back home, she’d take her to Carter’s and be just as defensive of the mismatched shot glasses from various Vegas casinos. 

“Risky neighborhood, better security,” Gigi assures her. “Plus you haven’t lived until you’ve tried their Chupacabra.”

“What’s a Chupacabra?”

She raises her eyebrows with a smile. “The only drink strong enough to get you to do karaoke.”

\--

Acid. That’s what a Chupacabra is, or might as well be. Like really gross, disgusting battery acid...that’s also really easy to drink? And strong. Really really strong.

“This is probably burning a hole in my stomach as we speak,” Lizzie yells over the sound of someone completely butchering Bohemian Rhapsody. “What made you even try one of these in the first place?”

“Fitz’s idea. He dared me--well actually, no, first he dared Will--and then he dared me and I survived and now it’s sort of like...tradition!” Gigi clinks her glass with Lizzie’s and knocks back two very large gulps. Lizzie settles for sips because the last thing she needs is to throw up all over her boss’ sister. Her friend who happens to be related to her boss? Is he even technically her boss? Ugh, these things kick you in the _ass_.

“You’re telling me Will--” it’s the first time she’s tried his first name and it kicks her harder than the first sip of this tequila drink of death. “Has actually had one of these?”

“Oh, the book is free!” Gigi ignores her and darts to the next table and retrieves a large white binder, flipping through the pages with a precision of someone who has definitely done this before.

“Just so we’re clear, the only way I’m getting up there is if you’re up there with me.”

“Deal! Duets are more fun anyway.”

\--

So they wind up half-singing, half-laughing through “Summer Lovin’” since apparently anything written before 1975 is considered “old”. They take dramatic bows to thunderous applause and stumble into each other on the way back to their table, barely able to contain themselves. 

“You were the best Danny!”

“Years of practice, and Jane insisting she had to be Sandy.”

“Well, that’s basically type-casting.”

“That’s what we always said!”

\--

Somewhere around Chupacabra number two, an art major from the University of San Francisco offers to buy Lizzie a drink. He’s well over six feet in a peacoat, scarf and square frames and as flattered as she is, she finds she’s way more attracted to the glasses than the person wearing them.

“No thanks, I’m here with a girlfriend.” 

She turns back to her drink, decidedly _not_ looking at Gigi for reasons she’s probably too buzzed to dissect right now.

“He was cute,” Gigi starts innocently. 

Lizzie shrugs. “Yeah, he was.”

“Not interested?”

She shrugs again. She’s getting good at that.

“I’m leaving soon, so.”

Gigi answers with another sip of her drink. “But if you were staying...are you just not looking to date right now or--”

“You’re very subtle you know that?”

“Can you blame me for a little girl talk? Grow up with a brother and you’ll understand my desperate need for female companionship.” 

Lizzie waits for it.

“And speaking of my brother...”

“ _Gigi_ \--”

“Don’t ‘Gigi’ me! Let’s just put it out there okay? You guys were _adorable_ in the city yesterday. All those pictures--”

“That you took.”

“And neither of you objected! And you’re still not denying anything, so.” She knocks back the rest of her drink. “Spill it. ‘My name is Lizzie Bennet and’...”

“And I will need way more of these,” she says, pointing to her empty martini glass. “To get me to talk.”

“Done.”

\--

“So anyway, my brother.”

“What do you want to know?” Lizzie knows she’s walking on very dangerous ground here, but blame it on the Chupacabra or the fact that she could definitely go for female companionship these days with Jane and Charlotte in L.A. and Lydia...whatever, if having this much fun means humoring her about Darcy, so be it.

“First impressions?”

Lizzie swirls her drink. “You’ve seen the videos.”

“Yeah, but hindsight must count for something. So?”

“Even if we’re friendly now, that doesn’t change the fact that it was hate at first sight.”

“But only because you thought he didn’t like you.”

“Yes and no. It hurt, yeah, but I would have hated him if I’d heard him say that about anyone in the room.”

Gigi nods her head. “Fair enough. Will’s never been great in social situations.”

“Never? I mean, who’s not social in kindergarten?”

“When you’re placed in a ‘gifted’ preschool, they sort of skip over that whole ‘won’t you be my neighbor’ stuff.”

It’s almost impossible to imagine Darcy as a child; she keeps picturing miniature suspenders and bow ties and it just doesn’t compute.

“Huh,” is all she says with her glass to her lips and down the acid goes.

\--

“You really had no idea how he felt about you?”

Lizzie shakes her head. “None. The shock you see in the video is completely genuine. I mean, did _anyone_ know?”

Gigi shrugs. “Sounds like Bing had a pretty good idea and you know nothing gets past Fitz. But as far as I know, Will didn’t articulate it to anyone but you.”

“And about a thousand strangers on the internet. That feels like a whole other lifetime.”

“How so?”

“Because things are so different now. He’s different, which is making me different, and if he’d just been himself from the beginning then--”

“Then what?” Gigi asks eagerly. Lizzie runs her tongue over her teeth, tastes the residual tequila, and shivers.

“Then I could have saved myself a lot of stress all those months. Actively hating someone, it’s tiring.”

“And now you’re feeling...”

“Much more well-rested.”

\--

Karaoke shuts down at midnight, but unlucky for Lizzie, the bar is open for another hour and even though they’ve switched to water, words are coming to her with zero filter.

“So, I mean, he must have been pretty mad about that stunt you pulled. Putting us in the room together and everything. He must have been...mad.”

“About as mad as you were.”

“I wasn’t--oh.”

“ _Yeah_.”

\--

“I mean, let’s just be honest for a second, he’s an attractive man. Like, that’s not my opinion, that’s just a fact.”

Gigi laughs, nodding her head. “I’ll agree to the extent that the little sister can.”

“So have I noticed that he’s good looking? Of course. Do I try to look nice at work while remaining professional? Sometimes always. Did I one time take the long way back to the office to see if he was doing laps?”

“ _Lizzie!_ ” It’s half admonishment, half squeal and it pierces right to the low throb at her temple. Oh god, is she already hungover?

“I said one time! And...I’ve said way too much, haven’t I.”

Gigi shakes her head earnestly. “Nothing I couldn’t already have guessed.”

She groans. “Cab?”

“I texted for one a few minutes ago, it should already be out front. C’mon.” She offers an arm that Lizzie needs more than she actually wants and guides her to the exit.

“Damn you, Chupacabra,” she mumbles, bracing for the cold.

\--

There’s a six pack of bagels and a full thermos of coffee on her front porch that morning, “text me when you’re up, Danny” scrawled in black sharpie on the pink bakery box.

She calls instead, her motor skills barely functioning enough to bring her breakfast inside.

“Morning!” a chipper and not at all hungover voice chirps from the other end of the line.

“I would yell at you if I had the energy, but you sent me breakfast.”

“Admit it, you had fun.”

“I admit nothing,” she teases in a mock scolding voice. “Yes, I did. I guess you weren’t the only one who needed girl talk. And listen, I’m sure everything I said last night will come rushing back to me in a moment of a total humiliation, but just promise me--”

“Don’t think twice about it, Lizzie. I’m actually far more discreet than my brother gives me credit for. I’m keeping his secrets, and I’ll keep yours too.”

“Thanks. For the food and for being an awesome karaoke partner and--wait, what secrets?”

“Oh, look at the time. See you later!”

Lizzie rolls her eyes, taking a long sip of coffee and a bite of a poppy seed bagel. Promises herself to stick to a glass of wine next time and to grill Gigi for more childhood Darcy stories.

Picks out a dress for her interview later that day rather than the suit she’d had planned and tells herself it doesn’t mean a thing.


End file.
